Known By My Fruit

     The other day as I was feeling disgruntled about cleaning my house as a thought occurred to me, "You know a homeless person would love to have a house to clean." Hum...then other thoughts followed:
A widow would love to have her husband around...
A starving person would love to have the food I didn't like...
A quadriplegic would love to have the aching knee I'm fussing about...
A woman living in poverty would love to have the bedroom curtains I complain about...
And on, and on my thoughts raced.
     Oh, how I murmur and complain! I'm sick of hearing myself! I can't imagine what others are thinking. God speaks about those that complain and murmur and it's not good. (See some scriptures below.*)
     I want the fruit of my life not to be bitter and unpalatable. I want to produce fruit that blesses and encourages. Fruit that draws others nearer to their Maker and God. I am known by my fruit, what I produce in life. I've been growing sour grapes of late, it's time to press the grapes and make sweet wine (verses sour whining:)~

A fig tree producing fruit over the Banias Falls, headwaters of the Jordan River, Israel.

Luke 6:44
Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. 

People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
*Scriptures regarding complaining or discontent~1 Tim. 6:7-8; Heb. 13:5; 
Phil. 4:11; Luke 5:5; 1 Pet. 4:9; and 1 Cor. 10:10 to name a few.